Thursday, June 10, 2010

Obsession: Unmentionables

Sometimes I have a one track mind. Within minutes of posting about bras and proper fit, I noticed that Colette Patterns put out their first line of "dainties" lingerie and lounge wear, the Selfish Seamstress gave away an Elan bra pattern on her wonderful sewing blog, and SewStylish magazine featured an article on trimming a cami with lace.

The writing was on the wall. Lingerie was on my mind. But what to do? I contemplated a shopping spree, but lingerie is so very expensive - well, at least the good stuff is. Then the light dawned: Why not make it myself! (duh) This "I can sew" revelation was akin to the day I realized that I could alter RTW clothing rather than paying someone else to do it (that is to say that it was a really obvious fact that I had somehow overlooked). Although I did not take up sewing to save money, I am convinced that I can make a cami, for example, from beautiful fabric and trim for much less than RTW would cost.

Sewing Lingerie (Singer Sewing Reference Library)

Anyway, I ordered two books from Half.com and the first arrived on Monday: Singer's Sewing Lingerie. I've read the first few sections and think it is great. What I've read is full of practical information on materials (fabrics, lace trims, elastic...) and techniques, like what seam treatments are best for various fabrics and garments. At this point, I get more out of books that prioritize technique over inspiration, so this approach is right up my alley.

I also ordered Kwik Sew's Beautiful Lingerie book, which has the added benefit of coming with patterns. After it arrives, I will decide on a first project and then begin to amass supplies.

In the interim I will be working on my pants and the two knit tops I've blogged about. Speaking of which, have you noticed how I am NOT have ANY luck with knit tops recently? Seriously, I am 1 for 4 at this point, with the 2 tops that currently are not working (although I have high hopes), one that is in the UFO pile and only one that I love. Anyway, stay tuned.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, I love the idea of sewing undergarments, but I'd be worried about sewing bras that have adequate support. I just think that bras are so high-tech these days, I'd don't know how I'd replicate that at home. So I'm really anxious to see what you can turn out, or at least what your books say about bra construction.

Clio said...

Yeah, I am definitely going to try to figure bras out, although I'll probably start with camis, slips, etc.

gwensews said...

Have fun sewing lingerie. You can use lots of lace and trims, and beautiful, silky fabrics. Enjoy the process!

Sheila said...

Ive been interested in making camis and will stay tuned for your progress posts.